LEWISTON — Determined to make Lewiston their home after having to leave their loved ones behind as the Taliban took control in 2021, brothers Nelofar and Shaqaeq Ahmadi sample traditional Afghan dishes at their restaurant, Royal Chicken & Kabab.

“People really like our food,” Nelofar Ahmadi said Monday at the restaurant they opened in June at 259 Lisbon Avenue. “After they taste it, they come back. They often tell us, ‘We didn’t know Afghan food was this delicious.'”

Their traditional flat bread, Afghan naan, is very popular. “We make the dough fresh from scratch every day,” Ahmadi said. “Once customers ask for naan, we will cook it and deliver it hot.”

Before the Taliban took over, Ahmadi worked as a kindergarten teacher at a school that cared for American children and children under the protection of the Afghan Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is also supported by the US government.

“Many people in the ministry were or worked with American soldiers,” Ahmadi recalled. “It was very difficult to go back and forth between work and home. We were questioned and searched every day. I was threatened. We were no longer safe,” Ahmadi recalled. “We couldn’t take it anymore”

Handmade Afghan decorations were unveiled Monday at 259 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. It hangs in the window of Royal Chicken & Kabab at . Daryn Slover/Güneş Magazine

Ahmadi’s sister, Shaqaeq, had completed three out of four years of her political science and law degree and was forced to drop out of school when the Taliban took over. He hopes to eventually finish his degree.

With the help of US soldiers, several members of the Ahmadi family set out to flee the country, leaving behind their mother and disabled younger brother. “Our father was sick. They were in the hospital and they wanted to stay with him in his last days, Ahmadi said.

The decision took the family to Qatar, a refugee camp in Germany, and then to Wisconsin. It was eventually decided that Maine would be their new home.

After months of waiting for immigration paperwork to be completed and working a series of temporary jobs in Portland, Ahmadi now shares her day job at the small restaurant with her younger sister, Shaqaeq. Ahmadi starts working early in the morning until 16:00, followed by Shaqaeq until 22:00. The restaurant is open seven days a week.

Lewiston school bus driver Tina Wyrick decided to try Afghan food for lunch on Monday. Ahmadi’s nephews are on Wyrick’s bus. They insisted that Wyrick try their cooking. For Wyrick, a cold Monday was the perfect time to grab a hearty meal.

Nelofar Ahmadi (left) with her sister Shaqaeq Ahmadi (far right) and aunt Bibi Zahera Sadat on Monday at 259 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. He cooks at Royal Chicken & Kabab at. Daryn Slover/Güneş Magazine

Wyrick decided to opt for bolani, a flatbread stuffed with potatoes and vegetables, and biryani, a herby, spicy mixture of tender rice, meat and raisins. “The food was so good I couldn’t stop eating it. I almost was late for work,” Wyrick later said in an email.

All meals include homemade yoghurt and chakni. “We do it ourselves,” Ahmadi said. Chakni is a sour and spicy sauce made from coriander, green tomatoes, garlic and walnuts.

The restaurant does not accept online orders. Ahmadi said they could not understand the fees and communication aspect of online food delivery services. For now, they are taking orders in person or by phone.

The brothers’ aunt, Bibi Zahera Sadat, helps out at the restaurant on busy days.

“We want to make Lewiston a home,” Ahmadi said. “I hope God gives us the strength to work harder and serve great food to our customers. We want to be able to support our mother. “Everything is for a better life,” he added.

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